The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 21, 1989
Filed:
May. 18, 1988
Maria L Chirinos, Caracas, VE;
David E Graham, Fleet, GB;
Ignacio Layrisse, Miranda, VE;
Alan Stockwell, Woking, GB;
The British Petroleum Company p.l.c., London, GB;
Intevep S.A., Miranda, VE;
Abstract
The salt content of crude oil is reduced by washing crude oil containing residual salt water with wash water of lower salinity than the water present in the crude oil and allowing the resulting mixture to settle into a layer of crude oil of reduced salt water content and a layer of saline water. The quantity of wash water employed is greater than 7.5% by volume of the crude oil. The saline water may be recycled and a proportion removed from the recycle stream and a corresponding quantity of water of lower salinity added. Washing with relatively large quantities of water results in the formation of a less stable emulsion. Consequently, less severe conditions are required to break it to recover the desalted crude oil.